Remotely locating and commanding a mobile device

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatus are presented for processing a remote command message. In one aspect, a method includes accessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service, the subscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device, retrieving a remote command message included in the subscribed topic that identifies a command to be executed by the mobile device, determining whether the command can be executed by the mobile device, publishing a result message associated with the command, and executing, by the mobile device, the command based on the determining. Publishing the result message further can include identifying in the remote command message a result topic corresponding to the notification service and publishing the result message to the identified result topic. Additionally, the subscribed topic can be uniquely associated with the mobile device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent applicationentitled “Securely Locating a Device,” U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/938,745, filed Nov. 12, 2007. This application also is related toco-pending U.S. patent application entitled “Remotely Locating andCommanding a Mobile Device,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/434,582filed May 1, 2009.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to remotely communicating with a mobiledevice, such as a mobile telephone or a media player, and to causing themobile device to perform a function through the transmission of one ormore remote commands.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices have been adapted to a wide variety of applications,including computing, communication, and entertainment. For example,mobile telephones permit users to freely initiate and receive voicecommunications. Similarly, mobile media devices have been developed topermit users to take electronic entertainment, including audio, video,and electronic games, to even the most remote location. Further, mobilecomputing devices have been developed to provide users with remoteaccess to data communications through wireless connectivity, such asover IEEE 802.11 or 3G networks. Some mobile devices, such as smartphones, support a combination of voice communications, entertainment,and mobile computing.

Because mobile devices are sized for portability, they easily can bemisplaced. Also, because mobile devices often are carried to manydifferent locations, they can be forgotten or lost. Further, because oftheir convenience and portability, mobile devices often are used tostore a large amount of personal data. For example, a mobile device canbe used to store an entire address book of contact information,electronic mail and text messages relating to business and personalmatters, account information, one or more galleries of images, and alibrary of music. Thus, the loss of a mobile device also can incur theloss of a substantial amount of data, including sensitive personal data.

Ownership of a mobile device can be indicated in a number of ways. Forexample, owners can mark a mobile device with identifying information,such as a name, address, or telephone number. The mobile device can bemarked physically, such as through a label or an engraving, orelectronically, such as through registration information stored on themobile device. Further, with respect to mobile telephones, an attemptcan be made to recover a lost device. For example, a user can call alost mobile telephone to speak with a finder who is willing to answer.If the finder is honest, the mobile telephone can be returned to therightful owner. However, mobile devices and the services they provideaccess to often are valuable and a mobile device thus may not bereturned if lost or may be intentionally stolen.

To prevent the data stored on a lost mobile device from beingcompromised, the data can be protected against unauthorized access in avariety of ways. For example, access to the data and/or applications canbe protected through login credentials, such as a system password. Themobile device can block any access or functionality until the correctlogin information is supplied. Further, file encryption can be linked toa security password, such that files remain encrypted until the correctlogin information is supplied. A mobile device also can be locked aftermultiple unsuccessful attempts at access to prevent hacking. Forexample, a mobile device can be configured such that repeated passwordfailures lock the mobile device to prevent any further use.Alternatively, a service provider can be contacted to disable furtheruse of the mobile device, such as by deactivating a correspondingaccount.

SUMMARY

A mobile device can be remotely contacted and commanded to perform oneor more operations, such as through the transmission of a message to thedevice. Further, before the mobile device is lost, it can be configuredto support one or more remote commands. The remote commands supportedcan be selectively enabled by the mobile device owner. A mobile devicealso can support one or more remote commands by default.

The transmission of one or more remote commands to the mobile device canbe initiated from a networked computing device, such as through a webservice. The mobile device also can confirm receipt of one or moreremote commands and can acknowledge that an associated operation orinstruction has been or will be executed. For example, messages can betransmitted to and from the mobile device through a notification serviceimplemented using a publish-subscribe (“PubSub”) framework.

The present inventors recognized a need to allow a mobile device ownerto remotely issue one or more commands to the mobile device, includingcommands used to present a message or sound on the mobile device, or towipe or locate the mobile device. Further, the need to receive one ormore messages from the mobile device acknowledging and/or responding toa remote command also was recognized. The present inventors alsorecognized the need to provide a web-based application configured tofacilitate remote management of one or more mobile devices.

The present inventors also recognized the need to allow reconfiguring amobile device to alter or disable support for one or more remotecommands. Further, the need for the mobile device to automaticallyretrieve command messages also was recognized. Also, the presentinventors recognized the need to permit transmitting multiple remotecommands to a mobile device, such as a locate command and a messagecommand. Additionally, the present inventors recognized the need topermit disassociating a mobile device from a remote management account,such as when ownership of the mobile device changes. Accordingly, thetechniques and apparatus described here implement algorithms forremotely communicating with a mobile device to cause the mobile deviceto perform functions through the transmission of one or more remotecommands.

In general, in one aspect, the techniques can be implemented to includeaccessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service, thesubscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device, retrieving a remotecommand message included in the subscribed topic that identifies acommand to be executed by the mobile device, determining whether thecommand can be executed by the mobile device, publishing a resultmessage associated with the command, and executing, by the mobiledevice, the command based on the determining.

The techniques also can be implemented such that publishing the resultmessage further includes identifying in the remote command message aresult topic corresponding to the notification service and publishingthe result message to the identified result topic. Further, thetechniques can be implemented such that determining whether the commandcan be executed further includes determining whether the command issupported by the mobile device and determining whether the command isenabled on the mobile device. Additionally, the techniques can beimplemented such that the subscribed topic is uniquely associated withthe mobile device.

The techniques also can be implemented such that the command is a locatecommand. Further, the techniques can be implemented to includedetermining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location ofthe mobile device and including the one or more geographic coordinatesin the result message. Additionally, the techniques can be implementedto include publishing the result message in substantially real-time.

In general, in another aspect, the techniques can be implemented as acomputer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium,operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operationsincluding accessing a subscribed topic hosted on a notification service,the subscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device, retrieving aremote command message included in the subscribed topic that identifiesa command to be executed by the mobile device, determining whether thecommand is supported and enabled by the mobile device, and executing,based on the determining, the command to generate output associated withthe mobile device.

The techniques also can be implemented to be further operable to causedata processing apparatus to perform operations including identifying inthe remote command message a result topic corresponding to thenotification service and publishing a message indicating a result of thecommand to the identified result topic. Additionally the techniques canbe implemented to be further operable to cause data processing apparatusto perform operations including supplying authentication credentialsassociated with the mobile device to the notification service. Further,the techniques can be implemented such that the command is a locatecommand. Also, the techniques can be implemented to be further operableto cause data processing apparatus to perform operations includingdetermining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location ofthe mobile device and inserting the one or more geographic coordinatesinto the result message.

The techniques also can be implemented to be further operable to causedata processing apparatus to perform operations including establishing aconnection to the notification service over a wireless data connection.Additionally, the techniques can be implemented to be further operableto cause data processing apparatus to perform operations includingextracting, from the remote command message, a command parameter for usein executing the command.

In general, in another aspect, the subject matter can be implemented asa system including a server hosting a notification service and a mobiledevice including processor electronics configured to perform operationsincluding: establishing a connection to the notification service,accessing a subscribed topic hosted on the notification service, thesubscribed topic corresponding to the mobile device, retrieving a remotecommand message included in the subscribed topic that identifies acommand to be executed, and executing the command.

The techniques also can be implemented such that the processorelectronics are further configured to perform operations includingidentifying in the remote command message a result topic correspondingto the notification service and publishing a result message to theidentified result topic. Additionally, the techniques can be implementedsuch that the processor electronics are further configured to performoperations including determining that the command is enabled on themobile device. Further, the techniques can be implemented such that thecommand is a locate command. Also, the techniques can be implementedsuch that the processor electronics are further configured to performoperations including retrieving one or more geographic coordinates froma location processor included in the mobile device and generating aresult message including the one or more retrieved geographiccoordinates.

The techniques also can be implemented such that the processorelectronics are further configured to perform operations includingestablishing a connection to the notification service over a wirelessdata connection. Additionally, the techniques can be implemented suchthat the processor electronics are further configured to performoperations including presenting, in response to executing the command, amessage on a display of the mobile device. Further, the techniques canbe implemented such that the processor electronics are furtherconfigured to perform operations including outputting, in response toexecuting the command, an alert including one or more sounds to aspeaker included in the mobile device. Also, the techniques can beimplemented such that the processor electronics are further configuredto perform operations including deleting, in response to executing thecommand, data from a storage medium included in the mobile device andrestoring a default configuration of the mobile device.

The techniques described in this specification can be implemented torealize one or more of the following advantages. For example, thetechniques can be implemented such that the location of a lost mobiledevice can be remotely requested and acquired. The techniques also canbe implemented to permit transmitting one or more remote commands to amobile device using a store and forward message framework. The remotecommands can include a message command, a locate command, a soundcommand, and a wipe command. Further, a PubSub model can be employed tofacilitate communications between a command application and a mobiledevice, such that the mobile device can access a subscribed node whendata communications are available. Additionally, the techniques can beimplemented to permit transmitting information and/or acknowledgementmessages from the mobile device in response to a remote command. Thetechniques also can be implemented such that a communication nodemonitored by a mobile device can be automatically created when theassociated mobile device account is created. The techniques further canbe implemented to permit delivering a remote command to a mobile deviceand receiving a response from the mobile device in near real-time.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features andadvantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and fromthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary computing environment that includes mobiledevices and a notification server.

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process for linkinga mobile device with a remote management account.

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process for remotelycommanding a mobile device.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forreceiving a remote command by a mobile device.

FIGS. 5-8 show flow diagrams describing exemplary processes forexecuting remote commands by a mobile device.

FIGS. 9-10 show exemplary user interfaces depicting the locationreported by a mobile device in response to a locate command.

FIG. 11 shows a mobile device displaying an exemplary message inresponse to a message command.

FIG. 12 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forprocessing a remote command message by a mobile device.

Like reference symbols indicate like elements throughout thespecification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary computing environment that includes mobiledevices and a notification server. A communication network 105 connectsthe devices and applications hosted in the computing environment 100.The communication network 105 can be any type of network, including alocal area network (“LAN”), such as an intranet, and a wide area network(“WAN”), such as the internet. Further, the communication network 105can be a public network, a private network, or a combination thereof.The communication network 105 also can be implemented using any type ortypes of physical media, including wired communication paths andwireless communication paths associated with multiple service providers.Additionally, the communication network 105 can be configured to supportthe transmission of messages formatted using a variety of protocols.

A user station 110 can be configured to operate in the computingenvironment 100. The user station 110 can be any computing device thatcan be configured to communicate with a web-enabled application, such asthrough a web browser. For example, the user station 110 can be apersonal computing device, such as a desktop or workstation, or aportable computing device, such as a laptop or smart phone. The userstation 110 can include an input interface through which one or moreinputs can be received. For example, the input interface can include oneor more of a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a trackball, a touch pad, atouch screen, and a microphone. The user station 110 also can include anoutput interface through which output can be presented, including one ormore of a display, one or more speakers, and a haptic interface.

The user station 110 further can include a network connection to thecommunication network 105. The network connection can be implementedthrough a wired or wireless interface, and can support bi-directionalcommunication between the user station 110 and one or more othercomputing devices over the communication network 105. Also, the userstation 110 includes an interface application, such as a web browser orcustom application, for communicating with a web-enabled application.

An application server 115 also can be configured to operate in thecomputing environment 100. The application server 115 can be anycomputing device that can be configured to host one or moreapplications. For example, the application server 115 can be a server, aworkstation, or a personal computer. In some implementations, theapplication server 115 can be configured as a collection of computingdevices, e.g. servers, sited in one or more locations. The applicationserver 115 can include an input interface through which one or moreinputs can be received. For example, the input interface can include oneor more of a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a trackball, a touch pad, atouch screen, and a microphone. The application server 115 also caninclude an output interface through which output can be presented,including one or more of a display, a haptic interface, and one or morespeakers.

The application server 115 further can include a network connection tothe communication network 105. The network connection can be implementedthrough a wired or wireless interface, and can support bi-directionalcommunication between the application server 115 and one or more othercomputing devices over the communication network 105. Further, theapplication server 115 can be configured to host one or moreapplications. For example, the application server 115 can be configuredto host a remote management application that facilitates communicationwith one or more mobile devices associated with an account. The mobiledevices and the application server 115 can operate within a remotemanagement framework to execute remote management functions. Theapplication server 115 also can be configured to host a notificationservice application configured to support bi-directional communicationover the communication network 105 between multiple communicationdevices included in the computing system 100. For example, thenotification service application can permit a variety of messages to betransmitted and received by multiple computing devices.

In some implementations, the notification service can include a definednamespace, in which a unique command collection topic can be created foreach subscribing mobile device. A unique identifier can be used toassociate a subscribing mobile device with the corresponding commandcollection topic, such as an assigned number or address. The uniqueidentifier also can be embedded in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)that is associated with a subscribed command collection topic. Further,one or more command nodes can be created below a command collectiontopic, such that each command node corresponds to a particular remotecommand type. For example, a command collection topic can include aseparate command node for each of: locate commands, message commands,sound commands, directory listing commands, file retrieval commands, andwipe commands.

Through the use of separate command nodes, multiple commands can betransmitted to a mobile device substantially simultaneously. In someimplementations, if multiple commands are received in a commandcollection topic, server time stamps can be compared to determine anorder of execution. In some other implementations, an order of commandexecution can be determined based on command type. For example, if awipe command is received in conjunction with one or more other remotecommands, the wipe command can be performed last.

Through the notification service, a publisher, such as a remotemanagement application, can publish a remote command message to acommand collection topic that is associated with a particular mobiledevice. When a remote command message is published to the commandcollection topic, a notification message can be transmitted to thesubscribing mobile device. The mobile device can then access thesubscribed topic and retrieve one or more published messages. Thus,communication between the publisher and the mobile device can bedecoupled. Further, the remote command message can be published to theappropriate command node of the command collection topic. Additionally,a mobile device receiving a remote command message can publish aresponse to a result topic hosted by the notification service. Apublisher, such as a remote management application, can subscribe to theresult topic and can receive any published response messages.

Further, the computing environment 100 can include one or more mobiledevices, such as a mobile telephone 120, a digital media player 125, anda laptop computer 130. Each of the mobile devices included in thecomputing environment 100 can include a network interface configured toestablish a connection to the communication network 105. For example,the mobile telephone 120 can establish a cellular (e.g., 3G or 4G)network connection that provides data access to the communicationnetwork 105. Further, the digital media player 125 can establish an IEEE802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi or WLAN) network connection to the communicationnetwork 105. Also, the laptop computer 130 can be configured toestablish a connection to the communication network 105 based on eitheror both of the IEEE 802.16 (i.e., wireless broadband or WiBB) and theIEEE 802.11 standards.

Each of the mobile devices 120, 125, and 130 also can be configured tocommunicate with the notification service application hosted by theapplication server 115 to publish and receive messages. Further, each ofthe mobile devices 120, 125, and 130 can be configured to execute aremote management application or a remote management function responsiveto a remote command received through the notification serviceapplication. In some implementations, the remote management applicationcan be integrated with the operating system of the mobile device.

A mobile device can execute a remote command to perform one or moreassociated functions. For example, the remote commands can includelocate commands, message commands, sound commands, directory listingcommands, file retrieval commands, and wipe commands. Some remotecommands can be used to output a notification from a mobile device. Forexample, a sound command can cause a mobile device to output an auditoryalert. Further, a message command can be used to present a text-basedmessage on the display of a mobile device. Some other remote commandscan be used to perform file-based functions. For example, a wipe commandcan be used to delete one or more items of data stored on the mobiledevice. A directory listing command can cause a mobile device to returndata identifying all, or a portion of, the file directory structureassociated with the storage of the mobile device. Additionally, a fileretrieval command can be used to retrieve a copy of one or more filesfrom a mobile device. Still other remote commands can be used to monitora mobile device. For example, a locate command can cause a mobile deviceto transmit a message indicating its location at the time the locatecommand is executed. Further, a usage command can cause a mobile deviceto transmit a message identifying usage data for a period of time, suchas calls placed or received. The period of time can be predetermined orcan be specified in the usage command.

Additionally, each of the mobile devices 120, 125, and 130 can includean input interface through which one or more inputs can be received. Forexample, the input interface can include one or more of a keyboard, amouse, a joystick, a trackball, a touch pad, a keypad, a touch screen, ascroll wheel, general and special purpose buttons, a stylus, and amicrophone. Each of the mobile devices 120, 125, and 130 also caninclude an output interface through which output can be presented,including one or more of a display, one or more speakers, and a hapticinterface. Further, a location interface, such as a Global PositioningSystem (GPS) processor, also can be included in one or more of themobile devices 120, 125, and 130 to provide location information, e.g.,an indication of current location. In some implementations, general orspecial purpose processors included in one or more of the mobile devices120, 125, and 130 can be configured to perform location estimation, suchas through base station triangulation.

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process for linkinga mobile device with a remote management account. A mobile device can belinked with any remote management account to which the mobile deviceowner has access. In some implementations, a mobile device can be linkedwith only one remote management account at a time. Thus, in order toestablish a link between a mobile device and a remote managementaccount, any previous link with a different remote management accountmust be broken. Alternatively, the act of linking a mobile device with aremote management account can cause any previous link with a differentremote management account to be broken. In some implementations, a linkbetween a mobile device and a corresponding remote management accountalso can be broken without establishing a link with a new remotemanagement account. For example, if a mobile device is being sold orotherwise transferred to a new owner, the link between the mobile deviceand the existing remote management account can be broken. The mobiledevice subsequently can be linked to a remote management accountassociated with the new owner. However, a mobile device cannot beremotely managed when it is not linked with a remote management account.

In order to establish a link with a remote management account, a remotemanagement application can be initialized on the mobile device (205). Aremote management application can be included on the mobile device aspart of the operating system or as a preinstalled application.Alternatively, the remote management application can be downloaded andinstalled by a user. Once initialized, the remote management applicationcan cause the mobile device to establish a connection to a correspondingremote management server.

Access information can be provided to the remote management server toidentify the remote management account to which the mobile device is tobe linked (210). For example, a username and password corresponding to aremote management account can be entered, such as in response to aprompt by the server. The username and password can uniquely identify aremote management account hosted by the remote management server. Anyunique identifier can be used to indicate a specific remote managementaccount hosted by the remote management server.

Information uniquely identifying the mobile device further can beobtained by the remote management server (215). In some implementations,a serial number, a telephone number, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card, a Media Access Control (MAC) address, an International MobileEquipment Identity (IMEI), or other such identifier can be used toidentify the mobile device. In some other implementations, theinformation identifying the mobile device can be a unique deviceidentifier (UDID), which can be a hash, e.g. generated using a SecureHash Algorithm, of hardware identifiers associated with the mobiledevice. Further, the unique identifier can be obtained from the mobiledevice automatically. Thus, data entry errors can be avoided. Onceidentified, the mobile device can be associated with the remotemanagement account (220).

Further, the mobile device can subscribe to a command collection topic(225). The command collection topic can be specific to the mobiledevice, such that only messages intended for the mobile device arepublished to the command collection topic. Also, access to the commandchannel topic can be granted only to the mobile device, which canauthenticate with the notification service based on the previouslydetermined unique identifier. In some implementations, the notificationservice can be hosted on the remote management server. In otherimplementations, the notification service can be hosted on one or moreservers separate from the remote management server. When the mobiledevice subscribes to the command collection topic, one or more commandnodes (or child nodes) can be created to receive messages published bythe notification service. For example, the command collection topic caninclude a command node for each type of remote command message that themobile device can receive, such as locate commands, sound commands,message commands, screen lock commands, directory listing commands, fileretrieval commands, and wipe commands.

Additionally, it can be determined whether one or more remote managementsettings associated with the mobile device are to be changed (230). Theremote management functions associated with the mobile device initiallycan be configured in accordance with default settings. For example, oneor more of the remote management commands, such as the wipe and soundcommands, can be enabled by default, while one or more other remotemanagement commands, such as the locate command, can be disabled bydefault. A remote management command will not be executed by the mobiledevice unless it has been enabled. Accordingly, the mobile deviceowner's privacy can be protected in the default mobile deviceconfiguration because location information cannot be remotely obtainedfrom the mobile device. Further, in some implementations, one or more ofthe remote management commands, e.g. the message command, can bepermanently enabled, such that a mobile device owner cannot disable thecommand.

At the time the mobile device is associated with a remote managementaccount, the mobile device owner can be prompted to review the remotecommand settings. If the mobile device owner elects not to change theremote command settings, the initialization process can be terminated.Alternatively, if the mobile device owner elects to change the remotecommand settings, the current remote command settings can be displayedso that the mobile device owner can alter one or more of the remotemanagement settings (235). For example, the mobile device owner canprovide input to enable the locate command so that the mobile device canbe remotely located.

In some implementations, the remote command settings can be accessed atany time through an operating system menu item, such as preferences orcontacts. Alternatively or additionally, the remote command settings canbe accessed through the remote management application. Once the remotecommand settings have been set, the initialization process can beterminated.

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process for remotelycommanding a mobile device. A remote management application can beconfigured to remotely command one or more linked mobile devices bypublishing remote command messages to a notification service. In someimplementations, the remote management application can be a web-basedapplication hosted on one or more servers.

A remote management account owner can login to a remote managementaccount by accessing the remote management application and providinglogin credentials, such as a username and password (305). A remotemanagement account can be established through a registration process atany time, even if no mobile devices are being linked with the account.In some implementations, the login process can be secured, such as byencrypting one or more items of login information or by establishing asecured connection. Further, in some implementations, additional ordifferent login credentials can be required in order to access a remotemanagement account.

Once access to a remote management account has been granted, a list ofmobile devices linked with the remote management account can bepresented (310). The list of mobile devices identifies each of themanaged devices associated with the remote management account. Eachmobile device can be uniquely identified through one or more items ofinformation, including one or more of an icon identifying the device, adevice type, a model, a serial number, a telephone number, and anickname. Further, the list of mobile devices also can indicate, foreach device, whether the device is currently reachable or online. If amobile device associated with the account has been wiped, the mobiledevice can be displayed in the list of mobile devices with an indicationthat the device can no longer be managed. In some implementations, amobile device also can be associated with a remote management accountthrough the account interface, such as during account registration.

A mobile device can be selected from the list of managed devices (315).For example, the account owner can select a mobile device that has beenmisplaced. The mobile device can be selected by clicking on acorresponding icon or item of information included in the list ofmanaged devices. One or more remote commands available for the selectedmobile device also can be presented (320). In some implementations, allremote commands can be presented along with indicators identifying whichremote commands have been enabled for the mobile device. In some otherimplementations, only the remote commands that have been enable arepresented. Further, in some implementations, one or more remote commandsalso can be enabled at the account level, i.e. through the remotemanagement account, for execution on a mobile device. For example, themobile device and remote management application can be configured topermit one or more remote commands to be enabled through the remotemanagement account if additional authentication information can beverified. Additionally, one or more remote commands, e.g. the locatecommand, can be enabled only at the device level, i.e. from the mobiledevice. Thus, the privacy of the mobile device owner can be safeguarded.

A remote command to be executed by the mobile device can be selectedfrom the available remote commands (325). Based on the remote commandselected, the remote management application can prompt the account ownerfor one or more items of information. For example, if the messagecommand is selected, the remote management application can prompt theaccount owner to provide a message to be displayed on the mobile device.Alternatively, if the wipe command is selected, the remote managementapplication can prompt the account owner to confirm that a wipe commandis to be sent to the mobile device. Other remote commands can beinitiated upon selection, without prompting the account owner foradditional information. For example, the locate command can be initiatedin response to its selection.

The remote management application can generate and transmit the selectedremote command to the notification service. For example, the remotemanagement application can have an Extensible Messaging and PresenceProtocol (XMPP) connection to the notification service and can send apublish message to the corresponding command node of the commandcollection topic associated with the mobile device. The notificationservice can publish the remote command and send a notification messageto the mobile device subscribing to the command collection topic.

After a remote command has been initiated, it can be determined whetheranother command is to be generated (330). Any number of commands can besent to a mobile device. For example, a message command can be sent topresent a message on the display of the mobile device and a soundcommand can be sent to provide an audible alert so that the mobiledevice may be noticed. However, after a wipe command has been executed,no additional commands can be sent to a mobile device until it has beenreconfigured. If another command is to be generated, it further can bedetermined whether the command is intended for the same mobile device(335). If another command is to be generated for the same mobile device,the remote command can be selected from the available remote commandsfor that mobile device (325). Alternately, if the next command isintended for a different mobile device, the list of mobile devicesassociated with the remote management account can be presented (310).

If another command is not desired, any result messages associated withthe remote management account can be accessed (340). A mobile devicereceiving a remote command can publish a result message indicating thatthe command is being executed and providing any information requested bythe command. Further, the remote management account can specify a resulttopic with the remote command to which the mobile device is to publishthe result message. If the mobile device is connected to a data networkwhen the remote command message is published, the corresponding resultmessage can be published by the mobile device to the result topic inreal-time or near real-time. Alternatively, if the mobile device ispowered off or not connected to a data network when the remote commandmessage is published, a result message will not be published until afterthe mobile device establishes a connection to a data network andretrieves the remote command for execution.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary processes forreceiving a remote command by a mobile device. Some mobile devices, suchas mobile telephones, can have a persistent wireless network connection,such as a (TCP) connection, whenever they are powered on and in aservice area. Some other mobile devices, such as digital media players,can have a wireless network connection only when they are within rangeof an access point, such as a Wi-Fi base station, and the wirelessnetwork connection has been enabled. Further, push services for a mobiledevice can be turned off, e.g. to preserve battery life. Thus, a mobiledevice can be configured to establish a network connection at apredetermined interval, such as every thirty minutes, to receive remotemanagement commands. Additionally, in the event a mobile device isconfigured to establish a network connection only in response to amanual command, the mobile device nonetheless can be configured toautomatically establish a network connection in support of remotemanagement. For example, a network connection can be established once anhour to check for remote command messages and then torn down. Thus, ifthe mobile device is lost and a network connection cannot be manuallytriggered, it is still possible for one or more remote managementcommands to be received by the mobile device.

A mobile device can access a notification service hosting a commandcollection topic to which the mobile device subscribes (405). Forexample, the mobile device can access a URI associated with thenotification service and can perform an authentication process. Onceauthenticated, the mobile device can access a subscribed commandcollection topic. The command collection topic can be uniquelyassociated with the mobile device and can include one or more commandnodes, each of which can receive a particular type of command message.The mobile device can be configured to access the notification serviceupon reestablishing a data network connection, such as when the mobiledevice is first powered on in an area in which data network access isavailable. Additionally, the mobile device can be configured to accessthe notification service in response to receiving a notification that amessage has been published to a subscribed command topic.

Once the mobile device has accessed the command collection topic, eachof the command nodes included in the topic can be polled to determinewhether one or more new remote command messages have been received(410). In some implementations, the mobile device can be configured tocompare any remote command messages included in the command collectiontopic to remote command messages cached by the mobile device. If aremote command message does not exist in the cache, the mobile devicecan treat the message as new. If no new remote command messages havebeen received, the mobile device can disconnect from the notificationservice (415).

Alternatively, if a new remote command message is detected in thecommand collection topic, the mobile device can retrieve the new remotecommand message (420). In some implementations, if more than one newremote command message exists in the command collection topic, theremote command messages can be retrieved in order based on server timestamps, command message type, or a combination thereof. For example, themobile device can be configured to retrieve a wipe command last, asexecution of the wipe command will preclude the execution of anyremaining commands.

The remote command message can include general parameters to be used inexecuting the command and response, such as a server time stamp, aresult topic to which a result message is to be published, and a commandidentifier. One or more command specific parameters also can be includedfor a particular command type. For example, a message command caninclude parameters identifying the message to be displayed. Theparameters can be expressed using any data construct, including adelineated list, data fields, or key-value pairs. In someimplementations, the server time stamp can be an XMPP standard timestamp in the format yyyy-MM-dd′T′HH:mm:ss.SSS′Z. Further, the servertime stamp can be used to calculate the duration between transmission ofthe remote command message and execution of the associated command.

The mobile device can evaluate a retrieved remote command message todetermine whether the associated command is understood (425). Forexample, a mobile device may not understand a command that is associatedwith a more recent version of an operating system or that requiresfunctionality not included in the mobile device. If the mobile devicedoes not understand the command associated with the retrieved remotecommand message, the mobile device can publish a message to a resulttopic indicating that the command was not understood (430). The resulttopic can be a predetermined result topic associated with the mobiledevice or a result topic identified in the remote command message. Themobile device further can determine whether the command collection topicincludes a new command message (410).

If the command associated with the retrieved remote command message isunderstood, the mobile device can determine whether the command also isenabled (435). For example, one or more of the commands that can beexecuted by a mobile device can be disabled, either through user actionor in accordance with default settings. If the command has beendisabled, the mobile device can publish a message to the result topicindicating that the command has been disabled (440). The mobile devicefurther can determine whether the command collection topic includes anew command message (410).

If the mobile device determines that the command is enabled, the mobiledevice can publish an acknowledgement message to the result topic (445).The result topic can be specified in the command message or can be apredetermined result topic. The acknowledgement message can indicate theresult of the command and the time at which command execution wasinitiated. Also, the acknowledgement message can be published beforecommand execution for some commands, such as the wipe command, the soundcommand, and the message command, to indicate that the command will beexecuted. For other commands, such as the location command, theacknowledgement message can be published after the command has beenexecuted. For example, the acknowledgement message corresponding to thelocation command includes data generated during command execution thatidentifies the location of the mobile device.

The mobile device also can execute the command identified by the remotecommand message (450). For example, the sound command can be executed byoutputting an audible alert, such as one or more sounds played at aspecified volume for a specified duration. In some implementations, theaudible alert also can be delayed, e.g. for a predetermined time afterthe command is transmitted, and/or repeated one or more times. Themessage command can be executed by outputting a message, such as text,to a display included in the mobile device. Further, execution of thewipe command can cause one or more items of data to be deleted from themobile device. In some implementations, the type of data or level ofwipe can be selected by the mobile device owner. In otherimplementations, executing the wipe command can cause the mobile deviceto be restored to a default state. Additionally, execution of the locatecommand can cause the mobile device to identify its location, based onthe geographic reference information available to the mobile device atthe time the command is executed. Except in the case of a wipe command,after the command has been executed the mobile device can determinewhether another new message exists in the command collection topic(410).

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forexecuting a sound command by a mobile device. The mobile device canreceive a sound command indicating that an audible alert is to be output(510). As described above, a remote command message corresponding to thesound command can be retrieved from a sound command node of a commandcollection topic subscribed to by the mobile device. Further, the mobiledevice can determine that the sound command is both recognized andenabled on the mobile device. If the mobile device determines that thesound command is not recognized or is not enabled, the command isignored.

In response to the sound command, the mobile device can determine thesound to be played (515). In some implementations, the sound command canindicate that a predetermined audible alert is to be played. Thepredetermined audible alert can be characterized by one or morepredetermined sounds and a predetermined duration. In some otherimplementations, the sound command can include one or more parametersspecifying characteristics of the audible alert, such as one or moresounds to be played, a volume, a duration, whether the audible alert isto be repeated, and whether the audible alert is to be outputcontinuously or periodically.

The one or more sounds representing the audible alert can then be outputby the mobile device (520). Further, the mobile device can publish aresult message to the notification service (525). The result message canbe published to a result topic, e.g. a result topic specified by thecommand message, indicating that the audible alert has been or will beoutput. In some implementations, the result message can include one ormore items of data, such as the time at which the command was executedand the characteristics of the audible alert.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forexecuting a message command by a mobile device. The mobile device canreceive a message command indicating that a message is to be presentedon a display of the mobile device (605). For example, the message canindicate contact information that can be used to coordinate the returnof the mobile device. As described above, a remote command messagecorresponding to the message command can be retrieved from a messagecommand node of a command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice. Further, the mobile device can determine that the messagecommand is both recognized and enabled on the mobile device. If themobile device determines that the message command is not recognized oris not enabled, the command is ignored.

The mobile device can determine the message to be displayed (610). Forexample, the received message command can include the text of themessage to be presented. In some implementations, the message commandalso can specify the message format, including one or more of font, fontsize, text color, background, and graphics. Further, one or morerestrictions can be placed on the message, such as the number ofcharacters or message size, to ensure that the message can be displayedin its entirety on a single screen and to reduce the overhead associatedwith the message command. The message identified by the message commandcan be presented on the display of the mobile device (615). The messagecan be displayed above all other items presented on the display, suchthat the entire message is visible and uninterrupted. Further, themessage can be displayed even if the mobile device is locked or if ascreensaver is active.

The mobile device also can publish a result message to a result topicassociated with the notification service (620). For example, a resulttopic can be specified by the message command. The result message canindicate that the message was displayed on the mobile device and thetime at which the message was displayed. Further, the result messagealso can echo back the message that was displayed on the mobile device.After the message is displayed, input can be received by the mobiledevice to cancel the message (625). For example, when the mobile deviceis found, the message can be turned off in response to an action, suchas a button push.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forexecuting a wipe command by a mobile device. The mobile device canreceive a wipe command indicating that one or more items of data are tobe deleted from the mobile device (705). As described above, a remotecommand message including the wipe command can be retrieved from a wipecommand node of a command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice. Further, the mobile device can determine that the wipe commandis both recognized and enabled on the mobile device. If the mobiledevice determines that the wipe command is not recognized or is notenabled, the command is ignored.

In response to the wipe command, the mobile device can request tounsubscribe from the command collection topic (710). As a result ofunsubscribing, all of the messages in the command nodes corresponding tothe command collection topic can be deleted. In some implementations,the mobile device also can be removed from the device listing of theremote management account. In some other implementations, the mobiledevice can be presented in the device listing as no longer being able tobe managed (or as a dead device). The mobile device can determinewhether the attempt to unsubscribe from the command collection topic wassuccessful (715). If the mobile device did not successfully unsubscribefrom the command collection topic, the mobile device can repeat therequest to unsubscribe (710).

If the mobile device successfully unsubscribed from the commandcollection topic, the mobile device can publish a response to the resulttopic (720). The response can indicate that the wipe process has beeninitiated. Further, the response also can indicate when the wipe processwas initiated. In some implementations, an electronic mail (email)message also can be generated by the remote management application toindicate that the wipe process has been initiated. For example, an emailmessage announcing the wipe procedure can be addressed to an emailaccount associated with the remote management account owner. Once theresponse has been published, the mobile device can execute the wipecommand (725).

In some implementations, the level of wipe to be performed can bespecified in the wipe command. For example, the mobile device can bewiped to return it to the original factory settings and to delete alluser data. In one alternative, the mobile device can be wiped to renderit inert, such that system data must be restored before the mobiledevice is once again functional. In another alternative, the wipecommand can specify one or more types of data to be wiped, such aselectronic mail messages, images, and contacts. Any number of categoriescan be specified for deletion using a custom wipe command. Once the wipeprocedure has been performed, the mobile device is no longer subscribedto the command collection topic and thus cannot receive any additionalremote commands.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forexecuting a locate command by a mobile device. The mobile device canreceive a locate command requesting the present location of the mobiledevice (805). As described above, a remote command message including thelocate command can be retrieved from a locate command node of a commandcollection topic subscribed to by the mobile device. Further, the mobiledevice can determine that the locate command is both recognized andenabled on the mobile device. If the mobile device determines that thelocate command is not recognized or is not enabled, the command isignored.

In response to receiving the locate command, the mobile device candetermine its present location (810). For example, the mobile device canuse a location process or application programming interface (API) toretrieve the available data that most accurately describes its location.If the mobile device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) chip,the mobile device can retrieve the GPS coordinates identifying itspresent location. If the mobile device does not include a GPS chip, orif GPS coordinates are not available, the mobile device can determineits location through other means. For example, if the mobile device isconfigured to communicate on a wireless telecommunications network, themobile device can estimate its location using cellular towertriangulation. Alternatively, if the mobile device is configured tocommunicate using a Wi-Fi connection, the mobile device can estimate itslocation in accordance the nearest Wi-Fi base station. The mobile devicealso can use any other technique known in the art for determining orestimating its location.

The mobile device also can be configured to determine one or more timesassociated with the locate command (815). For example, the mobile devicecan determine the time at which the locate command was received.Further, the mobile device can determine the time at which the locatecommand was processed to determine the location information.

Once the mobile device has determined the location information, themobile device can publish a result message to the result topic (820).The result message can include one or more items of location data. Forexample, the result message can include key-value pairs specifyinggeographic data, such as longitude, latitude, vertical accuracy, andhorizontal accuracy. Further, the result message can include one or moreitems of time data. For example, the result message can include a timestamp indicating the time at which the location data was retrieved and atime stamp indicating the time at which the locate message was received.Accordingly, the accuracy of the location data can be at least partiallyassessed based on the reported time data.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary user interface depicting the location reportedby a mobile device in response to a locate command. The user interface900 can be configured for presentation on any display device, includinga display associated with a mobile device. A map 905 can be presented inthe user interface 900, depicting a region that includes the locationreported by the mobile device in response to a locate command. In someimplementations, the map 905 can be interactive and can include aresolution control 908 for receiving input to increase or decrease thescale of the map 905.

The user interface 900 also can include an address field 910 thatdisplays an address corresponding to the location reported by the mobiledevice. The address most closely corresponding to the reported locationof the mobile device can be selected. For example, if the locationreported by the mobile device is outside of an existing address, such asin a parking lot or greenbelt, the nearest available address to thatlocation can be presented. A location indicator 915 also can bepresented on the map 905 in the position corresponding to the locationreported by the mobile device. Further, a legend 920 can be displayed inconjunction with the location indictor 915. In some implementations, thelegend 920 can identify the mobile device reporting the displayedlocation. In some other implementations, the legend 920 can indicate ageographic reference, such as the street address, location name, orgeographic coordinates of the reported location.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary user interface depicting an estimatedlocation of a mobile device based on a response to a locate command. Theuser interface 1005 can be configured for presentation on any displaydevice, including a display associated with a mobile device. A map 1010can be presented in the user interface 1005, depicting a region thatincludes the estimated location of the mobile device. In someimplementations, the map 1010 can be interactive and can include aresolution control 1015 for receiving input to increase or decrease thescale of the map 1010.

The user interface 1005 also can include an address field 1020 thatdisplays an address corresponding to the estimated location of themobile device. The address most closely corresponding to the estimatedlocation of the mobile device can be selected. For example, if theestimated location is based on a Wi-Fi base station, the addressassociated with the Wi-Fi base station can be included in the addressfield 1020. A location indicator 1025 also can be presented on the map1010. The location indicator 1025 can be centered on the estimatedposition, such as the location of the associated Wi-Fi base station. Thelocation indicator 1025 also can be sized to approximate the area inwhich the mobile device can be located, such as in accordance with theapproximate effective range of the associated Wi-Fi base station.Further, a legend 1030 can be displayed in conjunction with the locationindictor 1025. In some implementations, the legend 1030 can identify themobile device reporting the estimated location. In some otherimplementations, the legend 1030 can indicate a geographic reference,such as an address, a location name, or the geographic coordinatescorresponding to the estimated location.

FIG. 11 shows a mobile device displaying an exemplary message inresponse to a message command. The digital media player 125 includes adisplay 1105, such as a touch screen. In response to receiving a remotecommand to display a message, the digital media player 125 can present amessage window 1110 on the display 1105. The message window 1110 caninclude a text message, such as contact information identifying theowner of the digital media player 125. For example, the remote commandsent to the digital media player 125 can include a text message, such as“If found, please call Jake at 866.555.1234.” In some implementations,the message window 1110 can include one or more images, graphics,effects, or links. The one or more images, graphics, effects, or linkscan be content transmitted in conjunction with the message command,content retrieved by the digital media player 125, or content stored onthe digital media player 125. The message window 1110 can be presentedusing any arrangement of colors and fonts. Further, the message window1110 can include an action button 1115 to permit closing the messagewindow 1110. In some implementations, the message window 1110 can bepersistently displayed until the action button 1115 is actuated or otherinput canceling presentation of the message is received. Additionally,the message window 1110 can be displayed above any other screen content,such that it is viewable even if the mobile device is locked ordisplaying a screen saver.

FIG. 12 shows a flow diagram describing an exemplary process forprocessing a remote command message by a mobile device. Initially, asubscribed topic hosted on a notification service can be accessed, thesubscribed topic corresponding to a mobile device (1205). A remotecommand message included in the subscribed topic that identifies acommand to be executed by the mobile device can be retrieved (1210).Further, it can be determined whether the command can be executed by themobile device (1215). Once it is determined that the command can beexecuted by the mobile device, a result message associated with thecommand can be published (1220). Further, the command can be executed bythe mobile device based on the determining (1225). In someimplementations, the result message can be published before, after, orin conjunction with execution of the command.

The techniques and functional operations described in this disclosurecan be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computersoftware, firmware, or hardware, including the structural meansdescribed in this disclosure and structural equivalents thereof, or incombinations of them. The techniques can be implemented using one ormore computer program products, e.g., machine-readable instructionstangibly stored on computer-readable media, for execution by, or tocontrol the operation of one or more programmable processors orcomputers. Further, programmable processors and computers can beincluded in or packaged as mobile devices.

The processes and logic flows described in this disclosure can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or moreinstructions to receive, manipulate, and/or output data. The processesand logic flows also can be performed by programmable logic circuitry,including one or more FPGAs (field programmable gate array), PLDs(programmable logic devices), and/or ASICs (application-specificintegrated circuit). General and/or special purpose processors,including processors of any kind of digital computer, can be used toexecute computer programs and other programmed instructions stored incomputer-readable media, including nonvolatile memory, such as read-onlymemory, volatile memory, such as random access memory, or both.Additionally, data and computer programs can be received from andtransferred to one or more mass storage devices, including hard drives,flash drives, and optical storage devices. Further, general and specialpurpose computing devices and storage devices can be interconnectedthrough communications networks. The communications networks can includewired and wireless infrastructure. The communications networks furthercan be public, private, or a combination thereof.

A number of implementations have been disclosed herein. Nevertheless, itwill be understood that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the claims. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method performed by amobile device, the method comprising: accessing, by the mobile device, anotification service on a server separate from the mobile device, thenotification service hosting a plurality of command collection topics,where a distinct mobile device is subscribed to each command collectiontopic; accessing, by the mobile device, a command collection topichosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobiledevice; polling, by the mobile device, the command collection topicsubscribed to by the mobile device to determine that one or more newremote command messages have been received by the command collectiontopic subscribed to by the mobile device; retrieving, by the mobiledevice, in response to the determining that one or more new remotecommand messages have been received by the command collection topic, atleast one of the one or more new remote command messages included in thecommand collection topic subscribed to by the mobile device, wherein theone or more new remote command messages identify commands to be executedby the mobile device; determining, by the mobile device, whether thecommand identified by the retrieved remote command message can beexecuted by the mobile device; publishing, by the mobile device, aresult message associated with the command to a result topic hosted onthe notification service; and selectively executing, by the mobiledevice, the command based on a result of the determining.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein publishing the resultmessage further comprises: identifying in the remote command message theresult topic hosted on the notification service.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether thecommand can be executed further comprises: determining whether thecommand is supported by the mobile device; and determining whether thecommand is enabled on the mobile device.
 4. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein the command comprises a locate command. 5.The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:determining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location ofthe mobile device; and including the one or more geographic coordinatesin the result message.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile deviceis uniquely associated with the mobile device.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: publishingthe result message in substantially real-time.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein multiple remote commandmessages are retrieved from the command collection topic subscribed toby the mobile device substantially simultaneously.
 9. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command collectiontopic subscribed to by the mobile device includes a plurality of commandnodes, where each command node corresponds to a distinct remote commandtype and the at least one remote command message is retrieved from oneof the plurality of command nodes.
 10. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a dataprocessing apparatus comprised within a mobile device, the instructionsoperable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operationscomprising: accessing a notification service on a server separate fromthe mobile device, the notification service hosting a plurality ofcommand collection topics, where a distinct mobile device is subscribedto each command collection topic; accessing a command collection topichosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobiledevice; polling the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice to determine that one or more new remote command messages havebeen received by the command collection topic subscribed to by themobile device; retrieving, in response to the determining that one ormore new remote command messages have been received by the commandcollection topic, at least one of the one or more new remote commandmessages included in the command collection topic subscribed to by themobile device, wherein the one or more new remote command messagesidentify commands to be executed by the mobile device; determiningwhether the command identified by the retrieved remote command messageis supported and enabled by the mobile device; publishing a resultmessage associated with the command to a result topic hosted on thenotification service; and selectively executing, based on the result ofthe determining, the command to generate output associated with themobile device.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to performoperations comprising: identifying in the remote command message theresult topic hosted on the notification service.
 12. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable to cause dataprocessing apparatus to perform operations comprising: supplyingauthentication credentials associated with the mobile device to thenotification service.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 10, wherein the command comprises a locate command.
 14. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further operable tocause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:determining one or more geographic coordinates indicating a location ofthe mobile device; and inserting the one or more geographic coordinatesinto the result message.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 10, further operable to cause data processing apparatus toperform operations comprising: establishing a connection to thenotification service over a wireless data connection.
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, further operable tocause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:extracting, from the remote command message, a command parameter for usein executing the command.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 1, wherein multiple remote command messages areretrieved from the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice substantially simultaneously.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the command collectiontopic subscribed to by the mobile device includes a plurality of commandnodes, where each command node corresponds to a distinct remote commandtype and the at least one remote command message is retrieved from oneof the plurality of command nodes.
 19. A mobile device comprising:processor electronics; a storage medium storing instructions executableby the processor electronics to cause the processor electronics to:establish a connection to a notification service on a server separatefrom the mobile device, the notification service hosting a plurality ofcommand collection topics, where a distinct mobile device is subscribedto each command collection topic; access a command collection topichosted on the notification service and subscribed to by the mobiledevice; poll the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice to determine that one or more new remote command messages havebeen received by the command collection topic subscribed to by themobile device; retrieve, in response to the determining that one or morenew remote command messages have been received by the command collectiontopic, at least one of the one or more new remote command messagesincluded in the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice, wherein the one or more new remote command messages identifycommands to be executed by the mobile device; execute a commandidentified by the retrieved remote command message; identify in theremote command message a result topic hosted on the notificationservice; and publish a result message associated with the command to theidentified result topic hosted on the notification service.
 20. Themobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause theprocessor electronics to: determine that the command is enabled on themobile device.
 21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the commandcomprises a locate command.
 22. The mobile device of claim 19, whereinthe instructions further cause the processor electronics to: retrieveone or more geographic coordinates from a location processor included inthe mobile device; and generate a result message including the one ormore retrieved geographic coordinates.
 23. The mobile device of claim19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor electronics to:establish a connection to the notification service over a wireless dataconnection.
 24. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructionsfurther cause the processor electronics to: present, in response toexecuting the command, a message on a display of the mobile device. 25.The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions further causethe processor electronics to: output, in response to executing thecommand, an alert comprising one or more sounds to a speaker included inthe mobile device.
 26. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein theinstructions further cause the processor electronics to: delete, inresponse to executing the command, data from the storage medium; andrestore a default configuration of the mobile device.
 27. The mobiledevice of claim 19, wherein multiple remote command messages areretrieved from the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobiledevice substantially simultaneously.
 28. The mobile device of claim 19,wherein the command collection topic subscribed to by the mobile deviceincludes a plurality of command nodes, where each command nodecorresponds to a distinct remote command type and the at least oneremote command message is retrieved from one of the plurality of commandnodes.